Digital Perms: My Awful Digital Perm Experience

It’s no secret that I have major volume issues with my hair: it’s that I have none. Nada. Zilch. Zero. My hair is as flat as they come, which has led me to years upon years of trying every single method; methods that led me to write this post, 8 Ways to Get More Volume in Your Hair.

While those methods have helped greatly, I don’t really like doing much to my hair; meaning I don’t want to wake up an hour early to blow dry it, wash it excessively with volumizing products and style it everyday. These methods work greatly for some – that’s why I wrote the post – but for myself and other lazy ones, I just like to wake up with big hair. So far, the only way that happens is to get a perm.

In the past I’ve had disastrous cold perms, which end up being a big frizzy mess – I looked like a clown, and not to mention my hair was completely damaged. But I never learn, and this time around I wanted another perm, not only because I wanted more volume around the crown area, but I decided I wanted wavy hair – no more straight hair I’ve had all my life (minus that year of that hideous perm)!

I wanted something that was the least damaging to the hair, and researched – and heard so much – that digital perms are great.

What is a digital hair perm, and why is it “better”? First of all, it’s said to minimize the ‘frizz’ look, because heated rollers control it, and secondly, these heated rollers generate less damage to the hair. In other words – I was sold at that point, did some research where lots of girls claimed that they loved it, and when my friend got a digital perm that turned out fantastic, I booked an appointment immediately.

Perhaps that’s where I went wrong – I didn’t research the place. I went to an ordinary salon near my house (because I wanted it done asap, ah, the curse of being impatient!), and though it was close to my house and very convenient, it was a reputable brand – they had many branches all over the country, so I thought why not.

First, I revealed my concerns: my hair is hideously damaged, but vanity overpowers that and I still wanted waves. I said I wanted my hair to be big, fluffy waves from root to tip, especially my crown area, to be wavy. (Most digital perms start off with straight roots and goes into curly ends.) I also specifically pointed out that I wanted that kind of volume, but with much more tighter curls.

It was a long process. I sat there for 4.5 hours, listening to bad Ke$ha songs on the radio, waiting for the solution to set in (20 mins), rollers being put in (30 mins), heating the rollers (30 mins), taking them out, and then applying neutralizer (about 20 mins). In between, I got a trim and a treatment done, plus random waiting intervals, so by the time I was done my brain was mush and I was ready to pass out!

Here’s the funny part… When everything was done, I saw minor waves. MINOR. The stylist told me to go home and put some products in, because apparently digital perm needs products to aid the curls. Dang, so much for not spending time on my hair – but still, I did what he said.

When I got home, I applied some kind of curling product I had from ages ago and I got big, fluffly waves. I was estatic! It was literally like the photo of Kristen, except it was more suited to ‘me’, and I adored it. However, I sat down for dinner and once I was done, less than half an hour later, the waves were gone. My hair was back to being stick straight, and worse of all, FLAT. My crown area never looked so flat, I can basically see the whole shape of my skull. Yikes.

I called the stylist to ask what was up – I spent $300 and almost 5 hours sitting at the salon and it resulted to absolutely nothing! He asked me to come back to the salon and for him to look at it, and of course he said something about blowdrying it into curls and blah blah blah. (Told you those Ke$ha song were getting to me!)

But it was too late, my hair was still straight, they said they can’t do anything about it, so now I am $300 poorer. (I used all my Chinese New Year money for this perm!)

To say I’m disaapointed it an understatement. I’m not sure what went wrong; my hair used to be able to take perms perfectly, and the steps he was doing seemed to be correct. The products he used were Revlon, and I don’t think it’s a bad brand (is it?).

I did more research online, (i.e., “my digital perm isn’t curly and I’m pissed” on Google) and found out many had my complaints. Damn! Lesson learnt: Research the good, the bad, and the ugly reviews. Research, research, research!

So for me, digital perms are not worth it: apart from my money and time, my hair is now completely straight (my friend even asked me if I had rebonded my hair. I nearly slapped her!) Not to mention, my hair is now full of chemicals from root to tip, so I have to be extra careful not damaging it further. A real bad experience and I’m disappointed. :(

Has anyone tried digital perms? How did you find them? Is there any explanation to why for some people, there are barely any curls?

naw. tough luck about the perm.
i’ll definitely won’t be getting one now.
i’m not sure but i think i read somewhere that the shape of of each strand of your hair determines whether it is straight/curly/wavy so maybe if your hair strands aren’t receptive of a new shape?
but one thing with getting more volume i know i used to have really straight hair but after i cut it shorter it waved quite a bit and has more volume. i think the long hair weighed itself down?
it’s an option to consider, chopping of your hair isn’t for everyone.

Hmm, could be, but I’ve had perms in the past and they were fine… something was ‘off’ about this digital perm! Oh well, never again :(

Yup, shorter hair def has more volume. My hair is not that long though, a little past above my chest, haha. I will let it grow for a year or so then I’ll chop half of it off, I don’t like all these chemicals in my hair, especially since it’s there for nothing :/

I have noticed this is an old post, but I am from the UK and everyone has been talking about the Digital Perm over here. I think I completely agree with Emma, the haircut has got a lot to do with the curls. My cousin had it done in a salon in London (Mayfair) and the result was AMAZING!!!!! I am very very tempted to have it done too.
My cousin has shoulder length thick hair, but no movement to it whatsoever. It resulted in beautiful bouncy curls. When she washes it, she towel dries and twists sections with her fingers and leave it to dry (I ENVY HER). So easy. And the condition has improved a lot! – which is a bit different from what happened to Renee.
I think I have done what she’s recommended – RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. That’s why I ended up here… Let me know if anyone know anything else about this new technique?
I will post more news if I get it done.

I’ve just had the digi perm. This is the first time i’ve ever written any kind of review…
Just as the 2 ladies above, my hair looked EXACTLY the same after 4 hours of sitting in the hairdressers chair. Ironically, my natural hair is thick and wavy but after years of brazilian straightening treatments I wanted to put a natural wave in it enabling me to ‘grow out’ that ‘in between’ stage; my hair is straighter now that when I went into the salon! Not a single wave or kink. Just a frizzy mess.
The salon refunded me straight away (and didn’t seem surprised by the results) but ti doesn’t solve my problem of wanting wavy hair back. Help!

I agree — It is funny how every woman wants the opposite of their own hair. Growing up my hair was curly, wavy, wild, and hard to deal with. I would have done ayhtning for straight hair. Now I love it! And as for the 80s — Who didn’t have a perm? : D

I did a digital perm once, had the same problem as you, there were no curls/waves at all, hair looked exactly the same as before (but more frizzy because of the chemicals). I went back and complained to my stylist, and to his credit, he gave back the money i spent on the perm. he couldn’t figure out why the curls didn’t stick.

Sad t hear this :( But I also heard many complains, that the perm does not give tight enough curls, which go into wavy state the moment the girl leaves the salon, and flat the moment she reaches home. Maybe the perm technicians should aim for thither curs, knowing they will flat out quite a bit?

Hey, same here :( Yeah, should’ve given much tighter curls, even though I had asked for it. Oh well… I’m over it but it’s just a shame, so much time and money wasted. no tot mention my hair condition is horrible :S

wished that i have read this entry before i did my perm. hahaha. same result as urs and my fren said the same thing. yea. and the hair condition is darn bad. with dry ends and everything. utterly disappointed and a total waste of money..

about 4 years ago when digital perm wasn’t the trend, i also had my straight hair permed using cold wave chemicals. unlike yours, it already had a lot of volume even though it was straight. but i wanted to steer clear of the equation that rebonded, stick straight hair equals beautiful hair. when the stylist unrolled the curlers from my hair, it obvious that it didn’t have an effect on my hair and she suggested that i keep the curling product on my hair until the next day and rinse it on my own at home. i didn’t want to do it on my own so i asked them to rinse it. my hair only looked frizzy after the blow dry. the next day, when i took a bath, i noticed that the waves on my hair looked more beautiful right after shower. i wanted my hair to dry like that so i patted the towel on it, just enough so the water doesn’t drip and applied curl enhancing serum on it while combing it with my fingers and that was it. i allowed it to dry like that and it worked for me!

if your hair gets wavy after shower and you like the effect…do what i did and the products that was left on ur hair from the digital perm should keep it in place.

Ohh Renee, i feel so sorry for this!!!!
We want what we dont have! I have curly hair, but i wish it was flat,straight!
U know the “brazilian blowout” or “brazilian hair straightening”??Everybody here does it and loves it, so I thought it was a good idea to give a try, that was 2 yrs ago. I have a friend who owns a salon, so i went for it. But what we didnt know at the time is that Im allergic to one of the main components of the formula: formol/ formaldehyde!!! So she started putting the product in my hair and my face was covered up with a towel, i was looking down. When i looked up and took of the towel of my face, oh gosh, i couldnt see anything and I felt my head burning, and my nose, and my face. She imeddiately washed off all the product of my hair! It was so painfull, it was like i had fire in my head! So i never did it again, of course! But i keep blow drying every single time i wash my hair, i´ve been doing this since i was 14 (im 19 now) and now I do it like a pro!! I also wear products to control the volume, i have so much hair, and it works!!!My hair doesnt look as curly as it was one day. I still think someday im gonna take care of it and let it be natural…
But i have a tip for you, u probably already know this but, cut your hair in layers and it will give more volume! It works for me! Once in a while I blowout then I curl it with the curling iron, and the curls last longer when my hair is cut in layers.

Renee apreciatte more ur hair, it´s beautiful, people here in Brasil do ANYTHING to have straight/ flat hair, people are obsessed with it!!!
I just feel bad that u lost your money. Well… at least u tried! Like u said, we have to research the good and the bad!!
xoxo

Hey! Yes, I’ve head of the Brazilian blowout. I’m so sorry about your horrible reaction to the chemicals, that must’ve been so painful. :( Yikes!

Hmm.. maybe we should switch hair? Haha, everyone wants what they don’t have! I do love my hair the way it is but it seriously is a bit too thin. Whenever I curl my hair or blowdry it with lots of volume, everyone’s like OMG looks so good etc and I find I look much better. :( I have a long face shape so long, thin straight hair makes me look too long-faced, reminds me of a horse LOL.

How is your hair condition? What products do you use? if your’e blowdrying everyday it must be damaging, no? But if i still looks great and in good condition you need to tell me your secrets ;) ;) I’m always scared of using styling tools because of the damage, but whenever I do it looks really good.

Thanks for the tip! Yes, my hair has been cut in layers all my life! It gives volume at the ends but the volume I need is more on top – at my crown area. Seriously, my hair always looks like I was wearing a hat for a few days… a very ‘flat’ head look if you know what I mean. So now I just backcomb my hair a lot for volume but it’s so damaging :( I’ll leave my hair to grow out a bit and then around Xmas I’ll cut it all off I think, cut off all the damaged bits! xx

We should definetly switch hair [;)]!!! OMG a horse?haha Renee I think u dont have a mirror!!! I´ve seen pictures of u here and u look nothing like a horse ok?!LOL
U have gorgeous face and it matches your hair, and u also seems to be very tall!!

So, i dont wash my hair everyday, i wash and blowdry (my blowdryer has ions, it makes such a huge diference) 3 times a week, if i washed everyday I would be probably bald haha!

I guess my “secret” is that NEVER, not even in wintertime, I wash my hair with hot water!! I discovered I was allergic to any kind of heat when i was a kid, so sun and hot water NEVER!! I´m so used to cold water!I I also never wear a flat iron and I dont rub my hair in the towel! Like everybody does u know, like they rub the towel on the hair to dry?! My friend (haidresser) thaught me that is VERY BAD for ur hair!!!
Also, once a month, after I wash my hair, I make a mix with water + 200ml of white vinager,still wet I put in my hair and blowdry as usual, and it makes your hair look so shiny!!! It´s unbelievable, but u have to do it at night, u cant go out in the sun after you do it or it will burn your hair!!! And dont worry about the smell, nobody will notice, only you!

I was used to wear Paul Mitchell products, u know?But Im always trying new stuff! Now im wearing the new Loreal Elseve Re-Nutrition Shampoo and Conditioner with royal jelly!! I´ve been trying for like 3 weeks, and smells great and the hair looks shiny and feels soft!! Have u tried???
As a leave-in i have been wearing Alfaparf Semí dí Líno Iluminating cream. Smells like man perfume, seriously hahah, but it´s great!!!! Alfaparf is a great brand i think!
And Im waiting my Morroccanoil products! I ordered, and I guess it will be here in 2 weeks! GOD i cant wait!! Have u tried?
Im dying to try the whole line! Everybody is talking about and loving it!!!
I guess that´s all… at least for now I´m going to take a break on hair products, I have to wear the ones i have here!

ohhh I just remembered something. My aunt, she doesnt have a lot of hair, so she puts Aloe vera, u know that jelly thing when u cut it, in her hair to give volume, and it works. I used to put in my face and it worked better than many face products i´ve tried!

xoxo
I hope u are feeling better about your hair by now =)
have a nice weekend!!

Ohh there´s just another thing: I take vitamins twice a year. There´s one that os great for the hair called “Pill Food”, u have to take for 3 months, it works. I try to take vitamins like zinc, it´s great!!!

Hey Deb, Thanks for all your tips! I do some of them already, I guess my hair would be pretty healthy too if it wasn’t for the nasty perm, haha! I want to try out Moroccan oil, do let me know how it goes! I have heard so much about it… so far I use coconut oil for my hair and it’s fantastic but it’s so smelly I can’t really stand it… but it works so well. I think oil is the best. I will have to try that shampoo out from L’Oreal as I’ve seen it too… so far I’m using a local Japanese brand that’s really good for softness called Asience, works well but I think I want a change. I’ve always loved L’oreal shampoos too. I remember I used to use the pink ones so much… the pearl shine one?

Hehe as far as the horse comment, it’s true though!! Those with long faces, with the wrong hairstyle they can look a little horsey, haha! :-P But thank you for your kind comments, you know I think you’re really beautiful too, you should be a model or actress! From your pic your smile is really warm and friendly :D :D

I´ve heard so many good coments about coconut oil and avocado oil, but here it´s impossible to find it! Which brand do u use it?! I love coconut smell!!!
I think my Morrocanoil will arrive untill friday, i will tell u! Oh i´ve used a long time ago the L´Oreal pearl shine too, yes, it´s very good!!
OMG the horse thing again, hahahaha noo i have to insist that is not true, I think your beautiful Renee, but I understand u may think that way, we always look at ourselves different from what we really are right?!hehe
Model or actress?HAHAHA U are being too kind =D No! A fashion designer, is what I want to be!! But thank u very much =) that´s nice to hear heheh!

But if u already do some of the things I said, I guess ur hair is pretty healthy and will recover from that perm soon! Like 3 months maybe?!
It has been 3 days since I did the Loreal Liss Ultime hydration, and I have to tell u Im surprised, my hair is so diferent and shiny! Maybe if u think your hair is too damaged u should look for that, I have never done something so good!
Dont worry though, it will be fine!!!
xoxo
have a nice week!
=)

Renee I am a hair dresser and I think your hair dresser did nothing wrong. He should not perform this service on thin hair. Digital perm does not work on thin hair that is why they invented in Japan because it means to work on coarse hair. You should go get your money back. Cold perm will work better on your hair.

Sorry it didn’t work out for you. I would have thrown a diva-like fit and demanded my money back. Your hair was nice before, any way. If you want loose waves, try putting your hair into two or three buns high on your head before bed, sleep (slightly uncomfortably), and then take them out in the morning. You can also add some “beach hair” spray like Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray for extra beachy-ness. It works for me pretty well and my hair is stick straight too. Don’t worry, be happy, lol! :)

Hey Tammy, so sorry I missed your comment. Thanks for the tips! My friends put their hair in braids to sleep as well. I tried it but then it just goes off within an hour. Seriously, my hair is so ridic. I should try the beach spray idea because I love beachy waves. But I heard that the sprays are very damaging to the hair, is that true? :(

Hey Aarti, Thanks for your tip! Hmm… I think you can read my mind a bit ’cause I was just writing how to make your own salt spray. ;) Great minds think alike? Hehe. Although the post will be coming out a bit later, doing a “summer beauty tip” special next month. Thanks for the tip! Do you make your own salt spray, too? :D

Awww man! Cheer up! It could either be your hair type or that the person didn’t do a good job! I’m no hair expert so I can’t say which it is!

I have naturally wavy hair, but it’s the really frizzy type. I love curly hair though, so I usually perm my hair to make the curls more defined and neater. I’ve done both chemical perms and digital perms. I prefer chemical perms actually! Altho digital perms seem to be the new ‘in’ thing and many of the more established and expensive salons are using digital perms. I’ve done both types of perms twice each. I do not specifically request for either, but it normally depends on the salon which decides which type of perm they give. I find that salons that do digital perms tend to charge much higher (200+ vs 100+ for chemical perms)

I prefer chemical perms because my curls become more defined and are neater as compared to when I get a digital perm..! That’s EXACTLY how I want it! Digital perm always looks good right after.. But the next day, (well, at least, for me), my hair starts to become really frizzy again. It might be that I didn’t go through with the more expensive hair treatment-after but settled for the treatment that was part of the package in the first place.. But STILL?! Why should my hair end up looking back how it was originally after I’ve paid so much?! Thus, I conclude: I prefer chemical perms although I’ve heard in the long run it is more damaging (not sure how true that it) to the hair; but the fact is, after a digital perm, my hair seems in a worst state than before. Perhaps, digital perms are constantly being promoted and advertised because they are, afterall, more expensive than chemical perms and more profitable for salons. These are just my personal thoughts based on my personal experience! Good luck for your next perm! (That is, I hope you haven’t lost hope in all perms)

Hey Ying, thanks for your post! Hmm… a did a normal perm years and years ago and that worked really well. I wonder what happened with the digital perm, I’m assuming it’s quite similar, just a different technique? I would love to have another perm in the future but my hair is too bad now. I’ve decided to wait until Xmas to let it grow and then chop it off at my shoulders then slowly let the damage grow out. :(

Just a thought.. But I am guessing it’s because to use extreme heat PLUS chemicals on the hair to make it stay curled which severely damages the hair. As opposed to using just STRONG chemicals by itself??

Same here… I had my digital perm a few hours ago… And i am so depressed about it… I know my hair doesnt have a good strands.. I tried rebond, treatment cellophane and so many many things… Aloe vera etc.. But still it looks so frizzy.. Not bouncy dont have a volume… In one word dead hair… So i tried digital perm in david salon … One of the famous salon here in philippines because almost all of the reviews in the internet says that its a good treatment without causing any damage to ur hair so i expected a lot… Now im super depressed… I have now a short hair with super damage hair because of perm… The curls ?? It looks like a rubber band heated by a fire… So sad… From long rebonded hair to short frizzy hair …

Yeah, I do that every once in a while for parties or something, but, you know. And something that works great for me: The ocean. I LOVE my hair after I’m out of the water, and luckily I’m in the ocean every day in summer (Cali state lifeguard). It’s got voume, sun-streaked highlights…. But that only lasts so long :)

Renee you should write him a bad review somewhere on the internet ( yelp, yellowpages, city search, yahoo local) he should have refunded your money!!! Did you complain about this to the manager?? I would be pissed if after $300 all I got was damaged hair!

Aw but I don’t want to be mean… I mean I guess it’s not his fault? Something just went wrong. I did talk to the manager but they said they have a no returns policy. Sigh. They offered to redo it for me the next day but that’s when I was like, “Are you #$%^& mad? Two perms in two days?” I mean, how could they not know how damaging that is, they obv know nothing about hair! Oh well. Lesson learnt, never going to that place again. :(

But on the digital perms – i just had it done for my hair, and it’s true that it’s less curly as compared to a ‘normal’ perm, but it’s no where near flat and is usually nice and bouncy once i’ve put in some hair wax – i use lucido’s green and pink tubs (i’m not sure what they’re actually called..) hope this helps!

I’ve experienced the same. I specifically went to a Japanese/Korean hairdressers and had a professional of 17 years do my digi perm. It looked great after he was done, and after I got home. However after a night’s sleep my curls were flat, my hair looked dry, frizzy and damaged and the “perm” was basically gone. What a waste – and I haven’t even washed my hair yet. No styling product or curler helped.

Hi, sorry your perm didn’t work, mine didn’t either so you’re definitely not alone. I went to a Korean salon that “specialized” in asian hair, which is hard to find where I live. Because my hair is so thick my stylist kept the solution in 10 min. longer, but when it was all said and done I barely had any waves. She told me to use products to enhance the curl, twirl it when I’m drying it, etc. If I wanted to spend that much time on my hair I wouldn’t have gotten the dang perm. Anyway, it didn’t take and when I called her a few days later she offered to re-perm it at no charge (another 2 hrs + I still tipped her). This time I did have some waves, my hair didn’t feel damaged except for the ends which were a bit rough. But two weeks later, it was barely wavy. Huge disappointment to say the least, expensive lesson learned.

Hi, I’ve just stumbled across your blog, and am really enjoying it. I’m half white, half chinese and my hair can’t quite seem to decide if it wants to be straight or fluffy and wavy, I have really long hair, so its quite heavy and can sometimes make my hair look flat.

My free and non-damaging hair volumising trick is to pin your hair back. It’s tricky and you have have to experiment to see what works for you, your hair type and style, aswell as avoiding kinks. But I either pin my hair up in a bun or tie it back in a ponytail, either wet or dry, and either over night or for just a few hours for different effects when I let it down. A little bit of volumising moose or other products help too.

hmmim sorry to hear that, but i have never had any problem with digital perm..
it always comes out beautiful as i expected.
maybe you should have gone to the right place..
I’m in chicago and i goto the salon name esperica
they are heat perm specialists, probably the best digital perm specialists in entire eastern border. and besides that I was recommended to use this amazing product called Zen Care Professional Miracle Treatment..
oh my god~ it is truly amazing..
everytime i use this treatment my hair transforms into silk..i still get lots of volume with this treatment.. you should all try this one, i found their online shop.. zencareusa.com

I have a digital perm and I love it!! I’m a white girl with blonde hair (I did my research though on Yelp.com and found a salon w/a recommendation for a stylist who did them well) but walking into a korean salon asking for a digital perm got a few heads turned. lol.
But it turned out really well, my hair is shoulder length, w/volume, wave, and some loose spirals if I twist it a little when it’s wet. I apply a wave spray, scrunch or twist a little, let air dry. I spend 5 mins on my hair and it looks like I spent an hour curling it.
And I had flat hair too, stick straight, would do nothing. I am so pleased. Now that I love my new waves, I’m growing my hair long again, I couldn’t do it with my straight hair, it just got more “blah” but now I think I can do it and will look good! :)
I have no idea why yours didn’t turn out, but that really stinks. Maybe go to a different salon, and see if they can fix it.
I read alot on the digi perm on the purse forum webpage, and I think there were some girls who said theirs didn’t take, but going to a different salon, getting a protective treatment, then re-doing the perm helped.
I don’ t know how damaging that would be though to get it done a second time, but my hair is not damaged at all. No split ends, my hair is so soft, and shiny. Everyone thinks its natural and is shocked when I say it’s a perm.
I use a deep conditioner every so often, otherwise just a Olive Oil shampoo/condit from Regis salon.

I had it done at the Beautiful Life Salon, it’s in Rockville, Maryland. I found that salon by searching on Yelp.com, and it had good reviews for the digital perm, and on their website it explains the process, so I felt like they knew what they were doing.
Jen Chang was my stylist, i’ve had it done twice now by her. Now, it’s after the second time I had it done, it’s been about 6 months, and it is softening up, but I still love it. Just more loose curls, and waves now but it looks super great still.
The other day, clean hair:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31785159&l=ce1384a09c&id=67500642

Ah Sorry about the outcome of your digital perm! I’m reading up on digital perms as I write because I’m really interested in getting one. I hope that if you ever do decide to try it again, that it works out this time. :)

Btw, I’ve only read a few of your reviews right now but they’re all so informative! I love how much info you put into them. Thank you!

hi…got d digital perm too n very happy…my hair is just above d shoulder but it came out well ala meg ryan tousled hair…i think u have to research on d salon, n make sure that they know what they are doing…my hairdresser is using redken product and i bought a prodcust that helps maintain d curl…

i’m wondering as to where would the best salon be to have digi perm here in the phils. im dying to do it na it’s just that salons aren’t accepting my damaged hait yet, i had my locks rebonded last jan. so all the salons advised me to wait up until next year :(

Hi! I’m so sorry for your experience to get perming. I just permed my hair yesterday, I’m not quite sure if I liked the results at all. Just like you, I just randomly went to a hair salon, in hope to get a beautiful hair perm. I told the hairstylist I want big curls, instead when it’s done, I see that it’s middle size curls. When I looked in mirror, I think I looked awful with this new hairstyle and I thought why could I ever think to perm my hair.

Hi, I am thinking to get a perm. But I am a first timer. Don’t know much about perm.
I have straight hair, might be a bit wavy in layers, not so soft or course, will seem a bit dry but when apply some leave-on mosturizer it will be ok, not so thin or thick (basically now thinner compare to the past because my hair dropped more when shower now). The length is above the chest, in layers.
I am thinking of getting a digital perm as most says it does not cause so much damage to the hair compare to other perm. The hair dresser said that my the tips of my hair is not in good condition so, he trimmed it for me and ask me to come back in decemeber when my hair is longer.
I wish to have spiral curl but not so tight. But after looking at the comments here, i start to worry if digital perm can do it for me. Any suggestion?

Hmmmm… After doing a little bit of research, I found out that digital perm were made specifically for Japanese hair but can also work on other Asian hair. I’ve read somewhere that a stylist tried it on a Caucasian and it didn’t work as well. I dunno if this helps any.

I just got a digtial perm…it doesn’t work. I feel like I took a trip to the 80’s. So disappointed. it looks just like a regular perm. I paid more for a digital perm to get the perfect curls. No such luck… : (

I feel sorry about your terrible experience with digital perms. I am a Japanese Hair Straightening and Korean digital perms specialist in Toronto, Canada and I can tell you why KDP didn’t work for you. Since the KDP is only on the market for about 7-8 years, it is still fairly new to many people. Most salons probably never has experience or if they do, they will be very lucky to do one hair once a month. That explains to you guys how much experience they have, a few hair a year! Since my career focus is in these 2 major areas, I do KDP or JHS everyday. It really requires intensive knowledge and experience to be good. For most salons, they don’t have the chance to fine tune their knowledge, they are still at “trial and error” stage. They got training from the supplier who sold them the machine and those suppliers are not hairdressers!

This is why you really need to do the research and go to salons in which they are specializing in it. Honestly, I remembered years back when I first do KDP, I experieced the same thing, hair turned out straight! Not anymore now, i am really really good at it and know it inside out. I can make all my clients happy with a big smile on their face and their hair are usually much healthier and shiner than they came in. Of course there are many tips involved that I can’t share with anyone due to my many years of experience. I have KDP on my own hair and I couldn’t tell you how much I appreciate my hair now.

I am fortunate in the volume department, as I’ve always had thick, wavey (curly underneath) hair. my only problem is that sometime it puffs up at the crown, giving me a square head look, this is only on the odd occasion but it’s a little frustrating, especially when I don’t want to wear my hair up that day and just want it to fall sweetly around my face… kind of hard to explain!

I can’t imagine having to worry about lack of volume though, =( that sucks!

I’m guessing here, but when I read your description of the procedure, it seems like they cut and trim your hair in between the digital perm procedure? The shampoo and cut should be done before the digital perm starts. Also, the stylist needs to check your hair constantly to decide if they need to leave solution on longer or shorter, so it will depends on how experienced the stylist is with the procedure. But then, it could be just not fit for your hair texture, who knows? Sorry it didn’t work for you.

I just got my digital perm a few weeks ago and in the first week after I got the perm my hair seemed to straighten out a bit and was barely even curly so I went back to the salon and my stylist said that I was prob styling it wrong and he showed me all the little tricks. After he gave me a shampoo and blow dried my hair with a diffuser it looked amazing! A lot of people that get digi perms usually don’t like the way it looks in the first couple of weeks but I think that’s cause it takes a lot of time to get used to styling it. Its been 3 weeks and I’m finally getting the hang of it. Make sure you have a good diffuser. You’ll see a huge difference if you use it properly and don’t forget LESS IS MORE, the less products you have in your hair the better it will look cause if you have too many products in your hair it weighs it down. That was part of the problem when I first got it done cause I put in tons of diff products to try to tame the frizz it straightened out my hair.

Hi Renee,
Actually, to be frank I find ur hair very nice, the natural wave / body & volume really compliments ur features & makes u very sexy.
How I wish my hair could achieve that kind of style!
May I know where u do it & how much u paid?

I know this blog post is almost a year old, but I had to ask: do you blow dry your hair daily? You mention not liking the hassle of daily styling and maintenance, so I was curious if you blow dry your hair on a daily basis. Digi-perms are heat activated, so letting your hair air dry will not bring out the curls. Blow dry and then apply just a little bit of styling wax to hold the curls, and they should keep all day. Of course, if you did this and your curls still fell out, of course there’s always the possibility that the perm didn’t take.

Personally, I had a fantastic digi-perm experience, and the curling effect lasted in my hair for so long that even a year and a half later I would still get noticeable waves if I twisted my hair as I blow dried.

I have wavy hair before but had it rebonded and now its “confused”. I tie my hair when wet to achieve curls when it dries, however, I usually just leave it tied up. It could be the reason why my hair is damaged/frizzy. When I say confused, i mean some are naturally wavy (esp in the temple area as I still have baby hair that grows fast) and some are sorta straight.

I thought of having it digipermed or cold permed to avoid all the early morning styling struggles and minimize tying it.

I’m suffering from the result of this DigiPerm. It was costly, but after three days, waves were gone. I had it redone, after a week, waves were gone. Worse, I cant do anything with my hair because I am afraid it might further cause damage.

I had a digital perm about 6 months back and the curls really looked good, contrary to your experience! Now they’re turning into waves as I’ve been too lazy to religiously apply hair cream, blow my hair dry etc to maintain it. But it was a great experience, everyone (including myself) loves my hair!

@mercy –
Thank you for your post (and everyone’s post as well),
You said you had a digital perm in Rockville, and I live in Annapolis. I don’t think I have THICK hair, but I have a TON of Fine hair. I have had highlight put in before, but that is all I have ever done chemically. So my hair is just below or at my shoulder & the stylist said it was “Long”…
I mentioned getting a perm and how it’s something I have always wanted to do. She was excited as much as I was and seemed to have been doing hair for a while. I’m turning 32 in Oct and she said she was 40 & has been doing hair for 17 yrs. Anyway, she said to do a loose rolled down (?) perm, so my head wouldn’t look like Velcro. (I’m not a proffecional, but my long’ish Fine hair is heavy & even if I wanted a tight spiral it would have dropped) Soooooo, she did it VERY loose and the mgr wanted to close shop early. I feel the process was rushed and when I left (less than 2 hrs in the salon) I knew it wasn’t “right”…too loose, no definition, and there were chunks of my straight hair undone. She told me the same thing…wait 2 days to wash, spray with water and crunch it, twirl it, EVEN sleep sitting up (hope she was kidding, but I was careful with her instructions)…yada yada. After 3 hrs at home it continued to straighten. Day 2 – unwashed, dry, frizzy and continued. I called her and explained & she said to wait one more day before washing it. By this time, it’s bad! It reminds me of after you get your hair done for a wedding and then party all night long and wake up the next day with stiff hair gone wild…except then you can wash it out. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to give up and want the result I know is possible. She needed to take more time with sections and combing before using the rollers + it needs to be a tighter wrap. All this was done on Thursday…and they are closed on Mondays. Good thing I had nothing going on this weekend & was able to stay home & get some stuff done. Does anyone know what I can say on Tuesday when she sees it? If I wash and heavily condition it today & tomorrow my hair will quickly go back to being hydrated. Is it too soon to have it redone with a tighter perm? How long should the process have taken before we were told the mgr was closing? Any feed back would be amazing…I am a “Perm Virgin”!!! :)
Mercy…any Solon between VA & Annapolis you would recommend? There are some amazing places here, but I def cannot afford (starting around $430) I’ve already spent over 200$, and finances are getting tight. I forget the name of the chemical she used but it did NOT smell like a perm…and I think the two small bottles of chemical were left on for a out 7 min each…it just seems like I got ripped off! Thanks for reading to me rant, hope it made sense. Any & All advise would be so helpful.
I’m sorry this thread had to be made at Renees & all the other bad experiences, so thanks for sharing for others like me!!!!

so sorry that happened! from what i have read the waves are supposed to come out when the hair dries but you shouldnt have to use a blow dryer. fingers only to kind of separate the waves. but REVLON is a non-professional brand and any time you go in a salon and you see the word REVLON turn around and get out of there immediately!

I laughed at your reaction to when your friend asked if you had rebonded your hair. I’d have had the same reaction if I had your experience.

I got to your blog coz I’ve been searching for digital perms in Singapore. I don’t need volume because I have too much of it. But I do want more curls. Mine is not so curly – just wavy. I want tighter, smaller curls and that’s why I’m looking into perms.

Having a curly hair was also my biggest frustration..as a matter of fact I have tried a lot of stuff to curl it but unfortunately none had worked. Instead my hair got really damaged! My stylist had no choice but to cut my hair short. Since then, I never tried to “murder” my hair again. You see, every person have different hair types, this can be attributed to certain genetic and biological factors. Some are just resistant to any form of chemical treatment and some are naturally beautiful. So just be contented with your hair..try using less harmful methods such as using hair extensions or fake hair..that way, you can even experience all types of hair styles without any backfire. =)

I have the same problem with my hair. It’s sooo thin and straight, it’s annoying. I’m planning to get a digiperm as well but after reading your post, I’m having second thoughts about it. I have thin hair as it is so I’m scared that having a perm might damage and lessen my hair’s volume even more! But I’ve always wanted one. Do you think it’s worth the risk? Will it make a difference if I make sure I go to a good salon? Also, do I have to use hair products or style my hair after having it permed? I’m a lazy person when it comes to hair so I’m not sure if I should go through with it if it’ll take up so much time. Will appreciate your input. You seem knowledgeable with all-things hair ;)

weird.. maybe its just me.. but my curls from digi perm turned out too curly and i’m stressing about how its not loose at all. i look like hermione granger.. i’m trying to research ways to get from curly to wavy.. i have to see how it looks after i wash it though.. hopefully not as poofy

I actually got my hair digital permed twice. At approximately one years’ interval because mine actually lasted really long!
I personally think it’s just the place you went because i think most professional well-known salons would have slightly more experience with such ‘bring-in-photos’ type customers..etc. If you asked me, i would have gone back and at least demanded a refund or different hair style or something – but that’s me personally. For $300 i would have stuck it out, it ain’t a small sum. Especially for a hair do. :

Hi, i just done my digital perm the other day and it costs me, 70MYR (which is about USD18). I look so different and am not really used to it. I wanted to have big waves like what you wanted, but the stylist say, its better to curl it more so that it can last longer, which I think is true also, so I let her curled it more so that it will fall into big waves later. The results are good, but too curly for my liking now… haha.. anyway, its very cheap here and I don’t mind. ;-)

Hi Melissa..Where did you have your digital perm? which salon did you go to? it is so cheap…I would like to touch up mine..I had it perm last year december..my hair grows it out and it is starting to loosen up already.. =)

Wow! I didn’t know Malaysia can get that cheap for a digital perm! I just permed my hair last week after looking around in Ipoh for the pricing difference. Turns out most of the salons are around RM200-RM350(town area) for digital perm. Cold perm is cheaper but I didn’t bother to ask for the price. So instead I went to a neighbourhood salon which costs me RM160.

Now my hair is not as curly as before but I quite like the natural waves… Most probably wouldn’t last for more than 6 months. :-(

Hi,
While I havent had a digital perm done, I have had my hair japanese straightened, and these both use the same chemical. And with this you are not supposed to wash your hair for 3 days after because it will ruin the shape they have given you. So I wonder if him telling you to put this styling stuff in your hair that night was the reason why your hair completely went flat because it made it too wet and lost the shape and top chemical before it had a chance to set? You really shoulda been told not to put anything on for the next few days. I would like to add tho that all the things I’ve been told and read about digital perms is that you do need to twist it or style it a little yourself to fully bring out the curl.

I paid SGD$180 (Singapore currency) for it, trimming and treatment included as well, and I had those princess-like curls when everything was done. Few days later, my hair starts to flatten again (maybe because I did rebonding previously) so I actually went back to my hairstylist to seek for help. What she told me was that, I need to keep twirling my hair to let my hair get used to the curls and 2 weeks later, the curls will start to set in.

My hair currently is still curly but not as curl as before (more natural). My friends complimented it and I love the result. Oh and, it is my first time perming hair, so I think the problem isn’t really on the digital perm.

I know this post is a bit older but..
I had a great experience with a digital perm. I’m not bragging but it seems like most everyone had a bad experience where the curls went away after a few days. Mine lasted a good 6-8 months. A year and a half later, the very tips of my hair are still not straight. For the first few months, I had ringlets almost but by month 3 or so, I had the perfect beachy waves I’ve always wanted. Some things that I did that may have helped: I didn’t wash my hair for 3 days after the perm (I was very self conscious for those days lol), I never ever combed or brushed it, I never straightened it, I only blow dried it with a diffuser, I was twirling my hair almost all day out of habit..that’s all I can think of for now.
I came across this post because I’m ready to go back for another digital perm. I went to The Hair Epoch in LA. It’s a Japanese salon and they only charge $190 which includes the perm and a cut.

do u ever straighten ur hair? i got mine done at the beginning of july and it’s now the end of august and my curls are still very prominent but i am SOO afraid of straightening my hair and losing my curls!! all i do is twirl my hair all day to keep them >~< plz let me kno on any tips if u DO straighten ur hair from time to time and for how long and how u run the flat iron thru ur hair

i think it depends on the condition of your hair before perming. some ppl already have the natural wavy hair.. so it u perm your hair, it will last longer than those who have natural straight hair. some hairs dun take in perms and i’ve seen that before as well. and some ppl have naturally dry hair, so if u go for any hairstyles, it will dry up your hair ends, believe it or not, u will still have to trim off the ends and do a lot of treatment. cheerios.

a) it depends on wut kind of salon u went to in terms of skill. i prefer a higher end asian salon because they would have more experience in giving digital perms since they are most popular in asian countries/communities
b) the quality of hair care product that u put in matters greatly as well in terms of holding the curl
c) THIS IS SOO SOO IMPORTANT!! as you are putting in hair product to hold the curls/waves and definitely after u come out of the shower. u absolutely NEED to twirl sections of hair in the direction that the curl is going and then scrunch up a few times in order to kjeep the curl. i have ringlets all around but if i wanted it messier then i run my fingers thru my hair a few hrs AFTER it is all completely dry to ensure that the curls are set.
d) avoid wetting ur hair as much as u can help it cuz the more u wet it ESPECIALLY after the day u get the perm affects the lasting power of the perm. wen i got mine. i waited a full 48 hrs b4 wetting my hair and periodically thru the first week or 2 twirling my hair in tight ringlets to ensure that the perm would stay! hoped this help. btw. i’ve had my perm done since the 1st week of july and now it’s the end of aug and my curls r still very prominent and i have fine hair(i’m chinese) hope this helped!

now im soo scared of digital perm..
like you i have tons of problems with my hair , and im planning on having one so im also doing lots and lots of what nots about perm….
(,,shesshhhhh girls and their pampering,,,) lol
maybe youve got your hair back to being damaged but if not yet pls read this:
if you ever want your hair to get rid of chemicals you should use tsubaki head spa set , it really cleanses your hair from root to tip ohh and get the treatment ,,,, and if you doubt what im saying fell free to surf the net for this product :)
hope that helps,,, :)

I did a digital perm, had the same problem as you, there were no curls/waves at all, hair looked exactly the same as before (but more frizzy because of the chemicals), dried and looks dull. Like you said, should have done research, research and research…

I have straight hair that I don’t color and I swear that Shielo’s Volume Line gives me more swing to my hair when I use it. I also use Shielo’s Volume Hairspray (its Flexible Hold) on my daughter sometimes and I notice that her flyaways are much neater after using the Shielo brand.

The scent is AMAZING!

I have also gotten compliments on the scent from people when my hair was dry. I recommend this shampoo to anyone who is looking to stretch out their haircut visits. Your hair stays healthy and smells great.

i’ve the exact same problem, only that i can make my hair wavier and a LITTLE bit curlier again by using volumising cream products, but the outcome still isn’t as satisfying. without the products, my hair is just like before, only really fizzy. i really regret spending so much on this, though I do like the look. i don’t know if it’s the problem with the hair stylist or the perm or my hair! it’s so frustrating i really never expected to spend so damn much time on my hair especially since my classes are early in the morning.

think probably you should try just putting volumising cream on your hair and scrunch and twirl it after you’re outta the shower. And hopefully your hair will get curly again. :)

I just permed my hair 2 days ago and its gone now…The hairstylist asked me to go back to the saloon again and he said he will redo for me…=(
It was so sad as i had spent MYR380 for perming, colouring & treatment but i didn’t get the perm that i wanted.

Digital perms are better suited for medium to coarse textured hair and are not designed for root lift. Your hairdresser should have known this and not carry out the service as you would not achieve your desired result, which you didn’t. The suppliers need to offer better training.

I had a digital perm at a japanese salon with high hopes and was soooo disapointed too! I dreamed of having soft waves with minimal maitenence instead of my stick-straight hair. I too was out $300 and now have the same super straight hair with some damage. I did hours of research beforehand. It was such a bummer. Thanks for sharing your story. I guess the search for volume continues…

i had digital perm hair for the pass three years and i do it once a year. My experience tells me that if you want big curls, do ask the hair stylist to analyze your hair as they can determine what size of rollers to use or mix on your hair. Well, digital perm last me for a year and as time passes, the curls will turn out to be natural and nice. What i do after hair wash, i do apply leave in conditioner, comb through the twist and scrunch it and leave it to air dry.

Stop washing your hair, just rinse it every 2-3 days. Also let it dry naturally. This will give your hair it’s natural shine and bounce back. The more product and the more straightening and other baaad things you do to your hair just damages it.

I had a digi perm done yesterday,I was on this website today just too feel better and I just saw the name:April talking about her long years of experience with digi perm!!!!! Well I have to say: AVOID HER!!!! She is a liar! She did my hair yesterday and after the 4 hour process all I could see was jast frizz!!! When I confronted her she she said that the most important thing about digi perm is TO ALWAYS WASH AT NIGHT AND SLEEP ON IT!!!!!! And she apologized that She had forgotten to tell me this before!!! Well…today means I have slept on it last night!!!!! I wish I could show everyone how much frizz I have !!!!
WELL DONE APRIL!!!!!!

I’ve actually gotten digital perm twice and the first time it was absolutely perfect; nice big waves from the roots till the end and it also lasted me about 6 months. The second time was horrible, my hair was flat the moment I walked out of the salon. I think it really depends on the stylist because I’ve gotten both of them done at the same place but gotten totally different results.

i feel sorry for what you’ve experienced. having a digital perm must have thorough research first, esp. on the hair stylist itself. I had a digi perm and it also did not turn out as i expected. as what they say, finding a hairstylist is like finding you ONE TRUE LOVE. But anyway, there’s still a remedy for it. Use HUMAN HEART NATURE moisturizing shampoo and conditioner…that really help me a lot since my hair went super duper flat. it volumized my hair and shinier too…

i have naturally wave and frizzy hair. i have always rebonded my hair so i got my digiperm yesterday to try something new. but the curls are staring to loosen up. when i twist them, the curls stay for a little while then become just waves. i wonder what happens when i have to wash it tomorrow.

Hi i got my digital perm may 12. At bangs tony and jacley salon.. they cut my hair.. im about yo cry because i waited so long to achieve long hair and get permed. But latley after i got my digital perm the result is good. But its cost 7 thousand pesos, i use monea curl defining milk but its irritating me its hot in my feeling now i use clairol herbal essences body envy volumizing mousse and the result is good

hi!i’d like to share my experience.i’ve been getting a perm done for more or less 3 years now.i’d go to the same salon too for that and i was educated somehow about perming one’s hair.they said that naturally straight and untreated hair is a better candidate for digital perms which i have.the first time i had that perm,i returned after 3 days because i thought it didn’t work.so the stylist repeated it but only on some areas where it needed.i did what i had to do as per instruction in order to bring a positive result and it’s amazing!i love my hair!they love my hair!i was told that this perm lasts for 6-8 months and that our hair normally needs enough time to grow back healthy.so i would wait for at least 8mos-1year to visit the salon again because i always want a healthy hair aside from making it all gorgeous.the key point is you need to know what is good or bad for your hair.if it’s already damaged as it is,then it’s not wise to get anything done on it which has something to do with chemicals (perm,straightening,hairdye,etc.) just look closely at the strands of your hair including the ends,then decide for yourself. ;)

hi, i went on vacay to vietnam and just got what you call a digital perm. i didnt know thats what it was called, i just figured the vietnamese did perms a different way. I came across this website just by typing in “perming the ends” just to see if anyone in Hawaii could do the same after my perm came out. my perm is suppose to last 6 months and so far I love it. I have no problems and it only took two hours.The curls were really tight and I didnt need to cut or do anything with my hair to keep it that way. I was told not to shampoo for the first two days and every night to wear rollers for a minimum of 20 minutes only because i wanted big loose curls. If i didnt do anything to it after I showered it would still be curly and tight. So far im in love with my hair and wishing I brought the hairstylist from vietnam back to the states. I think only the asian people know how to do it right.

I had the same experience when I was living in HK. I went to Toni&Guy salon and paid quite a lot of money to get a digital perm. It turned out fantastic because the stylist styled my hair nicely after the process. After I washed my hair the next day, I felt like I wasted a lot of money because I had to still use my curling iron to have the big waves. I am not blaming the salon. Their service was amazing and they really took care of my hair by using top of the line products. So perhaps it’s not the salon’s fault. It dawned on me that maybe it’s my hair type. Some hair types are difficult to perm imao.

This is nothing to do with perms, but you mentioned your hair in full of chemicals and it’s probably got lots of build-up, too. This could actually be the reason for your flat hair. I don’t know how to help you with volume, but here’s a tip to fix your product-heavy hair: No-poo-ing. Or Sham-PHree-ing, which sounds a lot nicer. Don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but what you do is wash your hair with baking soda and water, and then condition it with Apple Cider Vinegar and water. Do it for a month or 2 and it will get rid of product build-up. Go to ‘HowToHairGirl.com’ for more info.
Hope i was some help :)

I did my digiperm 2 years ago and it still looks wavy..and if I curl iron it..it’ll stay as long as I don’t wash it..my hair feels a lil bit dry but not very disturbing..At my first month having the perm I totally hate it! It got all frizzy..but the next month it got tamer and I don’t know why it still wavy until now..I haven’ re-perm my hair but it still looks fantastic after 2 years :)

Oh my! I am nearly going to the salon today to have my hair permed. Thank you so much for this review. Ive thinking a lot for a week about having it curled. I, too, have a flat hair.. Small face with a flat hair :( and im very lazy to take care of my hair so i decided to make it wavy. But im afraid it would damaged my hair, :( thank you so much.

I have really damaged hair from a bad perm I got several months ago. Ive tried other products and didnt see any great results. My best friend recommended Shielo Restoration Oil – and I’m able to straighten my hair without it looking severely burned. It like seals the ends of my hair making it look healthy. I do believe this is magic in a bottle. A little goes a long way and it will last me awhile. It will fix yours too!

I had mine last 2012, it never crossed my mind to google it. Though it turns out to be lovely. Big and cute curls at the tip of my hair. I don’t even need to put some maintainance on it and sometimes I do brush it like my normal hair and curls stays beautiful still. I believe it really depends on hair type. But I do suggest after digital perming, roll your hair again with some pins or manual curler and chemical from the digital perm you’ve had will hold it. Don’t put any chemicals on it anymore, your hair had enough. You can do it thrice a week or everyday if you have the heart to do it. You can customize the curlers size too if you wanted bigger curls :)

I did my digital perm at Reds Hairdressing ION Orchard.. Did 2 different styles & both came out really well & lasted very long!!! I got my 1st perm in 2011 & the next exactly 1 year later in 2012.. First stylist was Penny Loh & the next was Norita, you can try Reds Hairdressing if you want.. Since I have a membership there I spent only around $215 for my perm & slight trim there..